Adventures in Texas barbecue. Want to stop the swine flu? Barbecue a pig! And remember, lettuce or spinach can kill you.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Burnet Feedstore BBQ - Burnet, Texas

visited around 5:30 pm 9/21/09

We had planned to hit another reviewed spot near Burnet, but found it had gone away. After asking at the hotel, they recommended this new place in town which had only been open for two weeks. From the outside it looks a bit kitschy, the standard old signs, etc. hanging outside in sort of a faux funky manner. Inside, we waited a long time while a lady in front of us made a big order but finally we got our turn. This is a "meat by weight" place (except during lunch when they offer plates) and I ordered 1/3 pound of brisket, 1 jalapeno sausage, and a couple of ribs. When he picked up the rib rack to carve, the rack went limp, always a good sign. The meat was individually packaged and weighed, with a sticker on each one showing the price. I added some tater salad and a massive brownie for just 99 cents. The dining room is a big airy cavern that sort of reminded me of Kreuz in Lockhart, but with decor more like Cartwright's in Bastrop. Down at the end of the room a life sized smiling cut out of John Wayne watched over us. Really.

The food here was absolutely awesome. The brisket was so tender that if you tried to pick it up with your fingers you only came away with a small piece. Perfectly moist. Deep, deep smoke flavor, on a par with the best I have had. Darned near brisket nirvana. The ribs were similarly tender, moist, and delicious. Maybe not North Main good, but certainly in the same neighborhood. The jalapeno sausage was just perfect. A fine grind sausage with a homerun blend of spices, moisture, smoke, and a casing that was a snappy, easy chew. The potato salad was a coarse chunk with mustard blend and about average. Scott had the beans and said they were very good, complete with brisket bits. Their sauce was another ketchup/mustard mix but I sure didn't need any on their wonderful meat. The home made brownie was an awesome chocolate gingerbread and it was so big I had some leftover for later! Anyone who knows how I like dessert will realize that is a rare thing.

As we left we stopped to take a few pictures and came across the massive pit enclosure on the north side. Clearly this is a serious operation. They are on a par with Kreuz in Lockhart and Cooper's in Llano as far as pit set-ups are concerned. The back parking lot is lined with double rows of smoker wood for close to 100 yards. We didn't go investigate the wood type, but whatever they are using works great. This joint may be new, but I have a feeling it will be around for a long time and be very popular. No wonder John Wayne was smiling.

They have a website at http:www.burnetfeedstoreBBQ.com, but when I checked, it was still just a place holder.

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About Me

I love barbecue. I always wanted to spend some vacation time sampling the best BBQ joints in Texas. A few years ago, my friend Scott and I started doing just that and we've been doing it every year since. We call it the "Calories and Cholesterol Tour". Since so many people were asking me about our experiences, I started writing them up. We are not expert eaters or writers. We just do this for fun and because we LOVE Texas BBQ.
A note about our reviews. We tend to be "stealth" reviewers. We don't ask for pit tours or cooking techniques and we try to be discrete about taking photos til after we are done. We want to experience each meal as an average customer.
If you know a great Texas BBQ joint we need to try, e-mail me at donotemp AT lycos DOT com. CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR A LARGER VIEW
I also have a separate bass fishing blog.